Young Conservative Activists 'Absolutely' Believe There's a Bipartisan Path to Address Climate Change

Young conservative activists concerned about the environment may not be on board with progressive Democrats' Green New Deal, but they definitely see plenty of room for bipartisan solutions to address the threat of climate change.

Over the past few decades, Republicans have often appeared to be opposed to addressing concerns about climate change, with many even expressing doubt about the science demonstrating that the planet is warming rapidly due to human activities.

That trend is changing with young Republicans, as polls show that the demographic is increasingly concerned about climate change and its impact on the planet's future.

"If you look at the polling, young conservatives view climate change as a threat to American security and prosperity and believe the government should respond accordingly—with a market-based climate plan," Kiera O'Brien, founder and president of Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends, told Newsweek.

A survey conducted last spring by the Pew Research Center showed that Republicans aged 18 to 39 were much more likely than older GOP voters to believe humans play a large role in climate change and that the federal government should do more to address the issue.

Furthermore, 85 percent of the demographic said they would be more likely to back candidates who embrace innovation-based approaches to addressing climate change.

Danielle Butcher, executive vice president of the American Conservation Coalition, an organization founded by young conservatives in 2017, told Newsweek that even older Republicans aren't necessarily opposed to addressing climate change.

Butcher said their concerns with addressing environmental issues are often related more to the solutions being proposed.

"Clean energy innovation is key to addressing the serious issue of climate change," Stefanik said at the time.

Whether the efforts of young conservative activists and some Republicans in Congress will result in more meaningful climate legislation remains to be seen.